I remember when I realized I was burned out. The fatigue that sleep couldn’t fix, the sense of effort without reward, the disconnection between what I was doing and why. I kept pushing forward because that’s what I’d always done. But somewhere along the way, the drive that once energized me had started to drain me.
I tried taking weeks off, many times. Trips to Japan didn’t help. Neither did saunas nor self-help books. It wasn’t just tiredness — it was a loss of connection to purpose. Taking time off, but coming back to the same patterns, the same weight, wasn’t helpful. I learned that what I needed wasn’t more getaways — it was more honesty about what was fueling me, and what was quietly consuming me.
Burnout often hides behind progress. You keep producing because you know how. You tell yourself things will ease up when the next milestone is reached. But ease never arrives on its own. It has to be designed into the rhythm of life – a type of care that is as deliberate as work itself. And that means leaning into the unease.
The shift for me began slowly, when I stopped trying to outwork burnout and started listening to it. I stopped asking, “How can I push through?” and started asking, “What is this trying to tell me?” That question changed everything — it turned exhaustion into awareness, and enough awareness one day started to open the way to meaningful action. Built over years steadily, it lead to a stable, peaceful and successful life of meaning.
If you’re experiencing similar feelings, pause for a moment. Step away from the next task. Breathe. Don’t ask what you need to finish — ask what you need to feel whole again right now. That’s where it began for me. Working with an executive coach led me down the most meaningful journey of my career.
If you could use more support, maybe it’s a sign to explore coaching.